Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Hooks.
Ryan, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I joined iFLY as a Sales Coordinator at the Frisco location in October of 2015. Prior to my role with iFLY, I had worked for similar entertainment brands, but nothing quite as unique as iFLY. I was excited to join the team and begin selling the dream of flight to everyone. I knew I wanted to grow with the company, but did not realize how soon that would happen. In August of 2016, the Sales Manager position became available. I applied, interviewed and accepted the position, and it was the best decision I ever made.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Working for a company that has seen as much growth as iFLY has in the past two years can certainly be challenging, but it’s so fun. iFLY embraces the ideas of all team members, regardless of your title and status in the company. If you have an idea and want to help foster the growth iFLY is experiencing, someone will listen. So – yes. While it may be challenging to constantly be evaluating and revisiting best practices, it’s rewarding more than anything to be a part of the change.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about iFLY – what should we know?
iFLY is the world’s largest indoor skydiving operator, and has safely flown more than 8 million people in a dozen countries and at sea since launching the modern vertical wind tunnel in 1998. At iFLY, customers can experience the sensation of skydiving in a safe, comfortable environment.
Each tunnel is designed to replicate the sensation of freefall, creating sensations that allow participants to float on a cushion of air. iFLY can fly anyone aged three to 103.
Flying in the tunnel is part of a fast-growing sport known as body flight and iFLY started the International Bodyflight Association (IBA) that is the leading governing agency of safety, training of instructors and body flight competitions.
In short – we utilize our technology to inspire students to be the future generation of science and engineering experts. iFLY employs the power of wind in their innovative and interactive curriculum to teach students about the real-world applications of science, technology, math and engineering in their lectures. STEM is more than what can be read in a textbook – it’s a real-world application. iFLY’s STEM program has been developed by local educators to align with what students are learning in the classroom today. Recently, iFLY Dallas celebrated National STEM Day by gifting a free STEM camp to 7th and 8th grade students from Richardson Classical Academy. The camp gave students the opportunity to safely enjoy the thrill of flight indoors while learning about fun science and math skills. This was part of a larger initiative where iFLY tunnels in Texas partnered with local schools and organizations. STEM is the national priority in education at the moment, and iFLY is ahead of the game when it comes to investing in student’s futures and encouraging interest in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. Since its debut in 2015, the iFLY STEM program has hosted over 5,000 schools in their tunnels across the US.
As a company, I’m most proud of our partnerships with the special needs community. iFLY hosts regular All Abilities Nights at tunnels across the United States to encourage those with varying mental and physical abilities to take flight. At iFLY, the dream of flight is attainable for everyone and we set out to prove that by encouraging participants to push past limitations. iFLY’s flight instructors are specially trained to accommodate participant needs and every night is encouraging for all participants involved, whether taking flight or not.
As part of our Gift of Giving initiative, iFLY partnered with Special Olympics Texas the months of November and December to raise money for their local chapters. The fundraiser began on November 1.
What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?
My proudest moment comes from my time as a Sales Coordinator. I was tasked with putting together Dallas’ first All Abilities Night. To be honest, I had no idea what I was doing, or who I should be reaching out. It was a newer concept for iFLY at the time, and there wasn’t a “best practice” put in place. I reached out to several different organizations and key individuals from the special needs community for guidance and direction, set an attendance goal for the first event of its kind for our location, and began making calls to invite families in.
We ended up surpassing the goal I had set, and sold out the first All Abilities Night in just one week. And although I thought achieving my sales goal with no direction was my proudest moment, that quickly changed the night of the event. The pure joy radiating from the faces of these families who got to experience something like iFLY – something they thought would never be an option for anyone with special needs… That is my proudest moment for sure. That is when I realized what we meant by delivering the dream of flight to everyone.
Contact Info:
- Address: 8380 TX-121
Frisco, TX 75034 - Website: www.iflyworld.com
- Phone: 214-618-4359
- Email: www.facebook.com/iFLYDallas
Image Credits:
iFLY
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